The human skeleton is composed of about 206 individual bones that perform a variety of functions, including support, movement, protection, storage of minerals, and formation of blood cells. A fractured or cut bone may be treated using a fixation device, which may reinforce the bone and may keep it aligned during healing. Fixation devices may include external fixation devices (such as casts and/or fixators) and/or internal fixation devices (such as bone plates, rods, and/or bone screws), among others.
Bone plates are sturdy internal devices, usually made of metal, that mount directly to the bone adjacent a fracture (or other bone discontinuity). To use a bone plate to repair a bone discontinuity, a surgeon typically (1) selects an appropriate bone plate, (2) reduces the discontinuity (e.g., sets the fracture), and (3) fastens the bone plate to bone fragments disposed on opposite sides of the discontinuity using suitable fasteners, such as screws and/or Wires, so that the bone plate spans the discontinuity and the bone fragments are fixed in position.
Standard bone plates and their associated fasteners may be insufficient to fix some orthopedic injuries in which bones are broken into several pieces. There are multiple kind of plate available for use but they are not multifunctional and do not offer flexibility in use when a different course of action is decided by the surgeon during the operation. For example, in treating articular comminuted fracture, usage of the plates is not easy because a variety of plate are available for different part of the body and they must be used for specific bones. The variety adds to the complexity of the operation.